Boogie and I have always been best buddies. He makes me smile and laugh, I make him smile and laugh. The perfect father-son relationship, you know? But there must’ve been something I did back in May of 2008, that he absolutely did not like. He had a mission: poop on Daddy by any means necessary!

Sheena and I were out grocery shopping at Walmart, and since Boogie was only a month old and therefore not able to sit up in a grocery cart yet, I carried him around in a baby carrier. He didn’t make a peep the whole time; in fact, I think he slept during the entire trip. Once we arrived at checkout, my shoulders began to ache. So, I asked Sheena if she could wear Boogie while I checked everything out. She agreed, and I handed him over to her.

I then began to load all of the groceries up on the conveyor belt and, I swear, it couldn’t have been any more than a minute later when…

*SPLAT*

I looked over my shoulder to where Sheena was standing and there was poop. A LOT of poop. All over the floor, Sheena’s shirt, Boogie’s legs, and the baby carrier. And the look on Sheena’s face was priceless. I couldn’t help but to laugh ’til tears. If I hadn’t handed Boogie over to Sheena, that would’ve been me with the pooped up shirt and shoes.

But little did I know, that poop had my name on it.

A couple of days later, I was getting ready to change Boogie’s diaper and still laughing about the poop incident that had occurred at Walmart. Now, although Boogie was only a month old, I must’ve changed his diaper 100 times, and each time was incident-free. Never got any poop on my hands, never any piss tee tee in my eye. But this time was different…

I unstrapped his diaper and pulled the front flap down. I grabbed his legs to lift so that I could pull the diaper from under him and…

*SPLAT*

There were no warnings. No signs. Nothing. Out of nowhere and completely unexpectedly, he shot a shart bullet straight into my stomach (with no shirt on). I just sat there speechless. I couldn’t believe my eyes. What did I do to deserve this? Meanwhile, Sheena got a huge laugh out of it at my expense. I guess I deserved it.

To this day, I still don’t know why Boogie had a poop vendetta against me, but I now change his diaper from behind a poop-bulletproof glass!

Sheena wrote about this incident last year, and I just wanted to share it from my perspective and for new readers we’ve gained since then.

That’s when I reached down to rub the back of his head…

I felt a hole in the back of his head.

At that moment, my heart must’ve jumped from my chest and into the computer screen as I felt like I had a loss of breath.

Why is this hole in the back of my son’s head? How did it get there? How could this have happened?

All of these questions raced through my head in the second it took me to look down at him…

My finger was in his mouth.

Usually when he comes crawling into the office, he’ll sit by my computer chair and face towards me. But, this time he faced the opposite way; which is why, for that heart-wrenching second, I thought I actually had my finger inside a hole in the back of his head.

I went and told Sheena what had happened and she said I should write a post about it so all of our readers can see how much of an idiot I am.

Other than taking good care of the mother during pregnancy, a father’s role is put on hold from the time the baby is conceived till the time he/she makes an entry into this world. Moms have advantage of carrying the little tyke for 9 months and getting to know them intimately in the process, but once the kid is born, dads get their chance to catch up with mom. Other than breast feeding junior, dads can and must do everything that moms do for the baby, not just to bond with him/her but to give mom as much rest as possible as she recovers from the strains of pregnancy.

• Take time off from work to help out at home.
• Learn how to hold your newborn so that both you and your baby are comfortable. It’s not that hard once you let go of your fear and learn to cuddle your baby without crushing him/her.
• If your baby is not breast feeding, learn to hold both the bottle and the baby as you feed him/her. Figuring out how to burp junior after a meal is important too.
• If your baby is feeding at the breast, keep your wife company as she nurses. She will appreciate the effort you’re making to spend time with her and your child.
• Put your baby to sleep by rocking him/her or singing lullabies. Your masculinity is not at risk just because you croon to your little one.
• Hold your baby while he/she’s awake and talk to him/her so that your child gets to know the sound of your voice.
• Take care of changing the baby when the need arises and help out with the laundry too. You’d be amazed at the number of cycles your washing machine goes through with the addition of just one teensy weensy baby to your family.
• Put your baby’s interest first always; there may be times when you’ve had a hard day at work and resent being woken up by a baby’s cry just when you’ve fallen asleep. It’s important that you keep calm and do what’s best for your child at all times.
• Be prepared to give up your free time and hobbies for a while.
• Offer to baby sit if mom needs to catch up with her feminine side and takes time off for lunch with her gal pals.
• Make time for yourself too, so that you don’t get overwhelmed by the enormity of it all.
• Get a baby sitter at least once a fortnight so you and mom can have some time to yourselves.
• And last but not the least, do all you can to make mommy comfortable during the early days of the baby’s arrival. What with post partum depression and the sleepless nights, she’s going through a tough time. Offer to give her massages, let her sleep in, make breakfast for her, and never lose your temper no matter how unreasonable she appears to be. Childbirth is a difficult and traumatic experience for some women, and it’s possible to get back to normal only with the help of supportive husbands or partners.

Being a dad is a job that lasts a lifetime, so the sooner you get accustomed to it, the better for both you and junior. And the best time to start is the moment the little one makes his/her appearance into this world.

This article is contributed by Heather Johnson, who regularly writes on what is an EKG Technician. She invites your questions and writing job opportunities at her personal email address: heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.

Ok I lied, I don’t really have thirteen toes. I only have twelve… and a half.

So why should Jeremy win this thing? Jeremy is one of the most passionate guys about fatherhood I know. It all shows in his writing on his blog, Discovering Dad. At Discovering Dad, dads are shone in a positive light. Discovering Dad doesn’t enforce the typical stereotypes of fathers, such as not being involved in their childrens’ lives. There are many, many dads out there that play a HUGE role in their childrens’ lives in many aspects, and Jeremy’s Spotlight on Dads series illustrates this fact well. Jeremy is an awesome writer, and continually puts out engaging content that prompts reader interaction. His What Dads Think series, What Moms Think series, and especially his heartwrenching tale of the premature birth of his daughter, Caitlin, are perfect examples. He’s an all around great guy, and if you ask me, he’s already a blogging idol in my eyes.

Jeremy is taking part in Blogging Idol to increase exposure and readership on Discovering Dad, and I support him, as he’s an excellent role model on fatherhood. If you haven’t done so yet, check out Discovering Dad, and consider subscribing to his feed. Let’s see Jeremy take this one home! Good luck man!

Now it’s time for the daddies! In the “Celebration of Daddyhood” Father’s Day Giveaway we held a few weeks ago, we asked the question, “What does daddyhood mean to you?”. Although we received only a few responses from dads, it was interesting to read what daddyhood meant from the perspective of mommies. The responses from the mommies showed that the role of daddyhood is very exciting, special, and important, even from the viewpoint of those who aren’t daddies!

I’d still love to learn the meaning of daddyhood from more dad perspectives. So to the fellow dads out there, feel free to chime in in the comments at the bottom of this post on what daddyhood means to you!

What does daddyhood mean to you?

Bunny: “I think daddyhood is just as tough as mommyhood. Daddy would need to think of how to support his family with the new addition. Plus he would still need to take care of himself too.”

Kari Follett: “Being a father, at least what I see in my husband and my own father means protecting the family, being there always, unconditional love and nurturing.”

Kam Aures: “Daddyhood means being there for you family and helping your sons to grow up to be decent, respectful men by setting a good example for them in your everyday life.”

Yolanda: “Daddyhood means nurturing the mind and spirit of your children from the very depths of your heart.”

Melissa: “I don’t know if I can express into words what being a Dad means to me. I have the best and most supportive Dad in the world. He loves us no matter what and doesn’t judge us either. Now that is HUGE! In addition I know I could call him day or night and no matter what I asked or needed (or wanted) he would be there to listen and help. He is so dedicated and loving and is such a strong Christian Dad as well. I just don’t know if he knows how much he means to us all or what a great Dad he is!

I guess in the end…any man can father a child but it takes a special mad to be a “Daddy”.”

Stacy: “My husband was’t sure if he wanted kids. He considered himself not a baby person. When our son was born in January he fell in love. And now that he is a stay at home dad he is the best dad ever. So patient and sweet. We are very lucky to have him.”

Gina: “Daddyhood is just as important and as tough as mommyhood. My husband Rodney is a great daddy, he provides for our family and tries his best to give his children everything in the world, not only material, but love and support. Daddies are about teaching the little ones thing Mommies might not know about, maybe don’t have the time to teach because of other household duties. Daddyhood is just a great extension of Mommyhood.”

Kristinia Clos: “Well when my hubby first met me I had 2 children, 2 boys, so he’s been a step-daddy ever since we said “I Do” but now for the very first time, this September he will be a Daddy to our first child together, a “Baby Girl”! He is very excited and he says he will feel like a #1st time Father, even though he is a Step-Daddy to my 2 boys. He’s literally scared to death but ready for the full responsibility. He has been soo helpful and caring with my 2 boys that I know he will be the best Father we could ask for!
That’s my hubby and what daddyhood means to me, taking full responsibility even though the children may not even be your own but you learn to love them just the same!”

Lois: “Daddyhood is a tough job and it means everything from wrestling on the floor to being tough when they disobey, it’s hugs and kisses, and a big teddy bear all rolled into one. I do not know how single moms do it. He is my partner is the good times and bad and is the rock we all lean on.”

Jo: “Daddyhood is a sacred fraternity of those blessed with the precious gift of a child.”

Noreen: “Daddyhood means your whole world changes. You have someone you love more than you thought possible and now you want to be an even better man for your kid(s).”

Annie Tunheim: “Daddyhood means spending good quality time with your kids and teaching them how to do things. I am a mother of 3 young boys who look up to their father as a way of knowing what it is like to be a man.”

Cindi: “I am one very lucky lady to have a wonderful dad, who will be turning 90 years young in July! My husband is one of the best dads and husbands that a woman could ask for. We just celebrated our 22nd wedding anniversary on May 31st.

Then, I have two fantastic teenage sons that I know will make great fathers if they decide to someday have children. My husband works all day and then comes home and cooks dinner. He always makes time to listen if one of us need to talk or need help with something.
He is teaching both boys a lot about computers and gadgets.”

Suzie G: “For my fiance, being a daddy means working 10 hour days 6 days a week and being totally exhausted and worn down. When he gets home, the first thing he wants to do is hold his son and kiss his daughter. Instead of sitting in front of the TV after a long day, he wants to take his daughter to the park to go down the slides and he wants to push her on the swings. He makes sacrafices for our family and wouldn’t have it any other way because he loves us that much.

He’s always been the only one able to get either of our children to burp. I do the boobing and he does the burping. Our 3 month old son loves him so much he spits up all over him all the time, and daddy thinks it’s totally funny.”

Mary Jenkins: “my husband and i both come from broken homes (you never hear it called that anymore). we aren’t close to our fathers So my husband being really involved in our daughter’s life has been very healing for us. i still don’t know what it means to be a dad, really. maybe it’s just being a man and being there.”

Channah: “Daddyhood means, to me, being there to love your child, always, through the good times, and the bad, before all your own needs.”

Kristi: “My stepfather raised me and my brother, showed us unconditional love, was there for all the bad times and the good times unlike my biological father who decided not to. I believe God stepped in, knowing me and my brother would need someone and sent my mom an angel. I feel very blessed to have my stepfather but also my Father in heaven for always looking out for me.”

Brandy W: “daddyhood from my perspective means, that you sacrifice everything you can for the lives you help create. giving up your freedom of going out to work or stay home with your child. be there whenever they need you, give love and support.”

Cyndie: “well I have a great Father and I have been Mom amd dad to my kids for 22 yrs now and I have to say my dad has been a dad and papa to my kids he has always been an inspiration to me and them…….I know I have worked 2 jobs to take care of them and my Dad has never complained he has enjoyed being with them….All I can say is my dad is awesome and I thank the good Lord for him adopting me when I was 7 yrs old. I have been blessed.”

Kristie Noguera: “Daddyhood means spending time with your kids. It means you shift your entire life priorities around and make you family and kids come first.”

Russell Bauman: “I think fatherhood is all about the smile on your child’s face when you walk in the door from work, the scent of their skin, their laughter when you are tickling them, the hugs and kisses, theknowledge of being there for your children and not being selfish. I love my children and the joy they bring to me and my wife.

Oh yeah and the unconditional love we share!”

Judy Brittle: “a daddy to me is being there plain and simple. be there to talk,give support and letting your child know that he or she is loved no matter what. to get involved in all things important to your child. going to those school plays and watching your child playing in the park. knowing when to step in and when to stay out of things going on in your childs life. and lastly LOVING YOUR CHILD.”

Steve Chittock: “Being a dad makes you realize that you are a lot like you own Dad. And that makes you appreciate him more. Nothing like whining to your Dad about something your kids did and he just smiles back at you and shakes his head.”

Kathy Conley: “Daddyhood is all about being the best father you can be and realizing that, no matter what, love is what really makes a father.”

Belinda A.: “From my perspective: Daddyhood means you are the safe port in any storm – that’s how my sisters and I view our dad and that’s how my daughter views her daddy:)”

Pamela White: “Daddyhood means the passing down of family traditions and learning the age old lessons learned by years of experience.”

Heather C: “From where I’m sitting, fatherhood means taking a new look at the world once you lay eyes on your child or children. Your heart beats a little differently and you really start to appreciate those kid-giggles and screams of delight.”

Janet F: “Daddyhood means being a good role model and a good provider. It also means teaching your children love, respect and self-worth.”

Amanda: “I know that my husband was scared when I was pregnant with our first baby, he was scared that he wouldn’t be a good dad, scared that he wouldn’t know what to do. But I remember the look on his face the moment he saw his daughter, it was like he just knew it would all be OK. He has been such an amazing husband and father, and his daughters just adore their daddy. Daddy’s seem to have such a special bond with their babies that no one can understand.

My husband always puts me and the girls first and never thinks of himself, he is a selfless, loving caring man and daddy.”

Lisa: “I think daddyhood is all about providing love, care, and guidance, just like mommyhood. My hubby is great at daddyhood. He helps out, he’s a great playmate, and provides well, so I can stay home and be the primary caregiver. I think daddy’s who stay home rock, too.”

As for the PeaceLoveMom Giveaway, the winner of a Lucky Mom Cantaloupe Soft Tee is… Mary! Congratulations Mary! And thanks PeaceLoveMom for making this giveaway possible!

Now for the Father’s Day Giveaway! Let’s go over the prizes one more time and find out who has won!

A gift that can’t be refused!
ONE lucky daddy will receive a GoodFather T-Shirt from Dr. MOZ! This t-shirt is perfect for the new daddy and a great way for wives to show their husbands what a “goodfather” he is! The winner will receive a short-sleeved t-shirt with the choice of a size between medium to 3xl.

Winner: Amanda!

I’ve been meaning to ask…
TWO lucky daddies will receive a Dad Relationship Keepsake Journal from Sand Dune Publishing Co.! These journals contain 35-45 questions that daddy can answer in his own handwriting. The journal is then given back to the son or daughter to cherish forever!

Winners: Kari Follett and Christy!

“Dude, I can see my reflection in your shoes!”
FIVE lucky daddies will receive Shine To Go Shoe Polisher from Kimberly-Clark! Keep daddy looking clean with this “on the go” shoe polisher! Available in black, brown, and clear, five winners will receive a set of all three colors!

Winners: Bunny, Cindi, Kam Aures, Yolanda, and Suzie G!

Time to give that coffee a makeover!
ONE lucky daddy will receive a custom coffee mug from Jenera Healy Photography! The winner will be able to choose any photo from the Jenera Healy Photography gallery to be imprinted onto the cup! This gift is perfect for the daddies out there suffering from boring-coffee-mug-itis!

Winner: Kristie Noguera!

“Sir, do you have the time?” “Why yes I do!”
ONE lucky daddy will receive a Waveceptor Timepiece from Casio! With tons of features, including solar powered batteries and Atomic Timekeeping Technology, this timepiece will surely keep daddy happy (and on time!)! The winner will receive the WVA430J-1A model.

Winner: Sky!

Congratulations all of you, and thanks to everyone who entered! I enjoyed reading what all of you had to say about daddy/fatherhood, and what being a father means to you. I enjoyed it so much that I’ll be doing a follow-up in the next few days. So look forward to that!

Also, I’d like to give a huge thanks to Dr. MOZ, Sand Dune Publishing Co., Kimberly-Clark, Jenera Healy Photography, and Casio for sponsoring this giveaway and making it all possible! Once again, Happy Belated Father’s Day to all of you wonderful fathers out there!

And remember, if you’d like to stay updated with new giveaways and everything else here on Mommy Daddy Blog, the best way is by subscribing to our feed in a feed reader via RSS, or by getting daily updates e-mailed directly to your inbox!

As everyone knows, yesterday was Father’s Day. In fact, it was my very first Father’s Day as a father. I wasn’t expecting anything at all…… ok maybe I was… a little. But the gift of being able to spend the day with my son was all I really wanted. But I know her. I know how sneaky she is! I knew she had something up her sleeve!

All week long, prior to Father’s Day, I asked her the same exact question…

“So, what are you getting me for Father’s Day?”

And all week long, I got the same exact answer.

“Nothing at all.”

Wow, talk about harsh. I knew she didn’t mean it though. I knew she was planning on getting me something for Father’s Day.

So I turned this house upside down. I looked through cabinets, under rugs, in Boogie’s diaper. And NOTHING! No gifts ANYWHERE! Was she telling the truth? Did she really not get me anything for Father’s Day?

So there I was, with Boogie, in bed, watching a movie. I glanced at the clock and noticed that it had passed midnight. I’m thinking that since it was now officially Father’s Day, she’d give in and admit that she got me something.

“So can I have my Father’s Day gifts now?”

No answer.

“Well can I?”

No answer.

“So you really didn’t get me any gifts for Father’s Day, huh?”

“It didn’t come yet.”

“See! I knew you got me something! I knew it! You lied to me!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

After finally getting it out of her that she got me a gift for Father’s Day, I continued to watch the movie with a huge grin on my face, knowing that my gift would arrive within the next few days. But then all of a sudden…

“Greeeg! Go read Mommy Daddy Blog!”

Well damn, couldn’t even say please! Just ordering me around like she always does. So I grabbed my laptop and went to MommyDaddyBlog.com. Hmmm, there’s a new post up. Heeey, what did I tell her about calling me “Greggie Poo” in public! I read the post, and let out a few “Awwwww”‘s. Then I got to the bottom…

“Greg, look under the black recliner!”

At that very second, I began to grin from ear to ear as I leaped out of bed, ran to the living room, and knocked over the black recliner. And there it was. A red and white striped box. I grabbed the box and shot back into our bedroom.

“You lied to me! You told me that my gifts didn’t arrive yet! You liar!”

All she did was sit there with a mischievous smirk on her face as I tore the red and white striped box apart. Inside were two gifts, this…

and this…

I looked up at her with a grin on my face.

“…but……what……how……you tricked me!!!”

“I know!”

And she went back to typing away on her computer, as I basked in the leathery smell of my new wallet! But little did I know, that wasn’t it.

“Greeeg! Refresh the post!”

Huh? Refresh the post? I put down my two new toys, grab my laptop, and hit refresh. I notice something new at the bottom of the post.

“Now look under Boogie’s tub!”

Wha? Another one? I run back to the living room where Boogie’s little baby tub is sitting. Beneath it is a storage bin. I open the storage bin and there it is. A shiny gold gift box. I grab the gift box and run back to our bedroom, where once again, she’s sitting with a mischievous smirk on her face.

I tear open the box, and inside are these…

I looked up at her and smiled.

“I love you, you sneaky woman!”

“I love you too!”

And that’s how the story goes. How did she do it? How was she able to order these gifts, have them shipped to our front door, sneak them in, wrap them, and hide them right here in our own house, all without me knowing? Nothing is supposed to get past me! I’m supposed to catch everything! I still can’t believe that I didn’t at least find the one under the recliner. I sit in that recliner every single day! Why didn’t I think to look under there? Right under my nose…

As for the gifts, I love them!

My old wallet was falling apart to the point where it couldn’t even hold my credit/debit cards securely anymore. As soon as I saw that one of my gifts was a new wallet, I immediately emptied my old wallet, put everything in the new wallet, and threw my old wallet out.

Anyone that knows me knows that I have what they call compulsive check-every-single-component-of-the-car-to-make-sure-it’s-working-and-up-to-par disorder. After experiencing two car accidents first hand, both of which were due to car parts failing, I can’t help but to freak out even if something as simple as the clock doesn’t work in my car. I’m constantly checking to make sure my tires are inflated to the right PSI because I’d really hate to blow a tire and be stranded, especially since we live in the middle of nowhere.

And I love polo shirts. If I were rich, my closet would be a mile long, full of polos. DrJays.com is also one of my favorite stores to buy clothes from. So she really scored extra points for that one.

So as you can see, Father’s Day was full of surprises for me. I loved every second of it, especially since I spent it with Boogie. We decided to to take Boogie for a walk later on in the day. We got all the way to the park, had the stroller pulled out the trunk and everything, until…

*drip* *drip* *drip* *drip* *drip*

Thanks a lot, Mother Nature! So we’ve postponed our walk until later on this week.

Well I hope all you other fathers out there enjoyed your Father’s Day as much as I did! I didn’t get a chance to wish all of you guys a happy Father’s Day yesterday. So Happy Belated Father’s Day to all of you!

So with Father’s Day coming up (in two days to be exact), Kid Kustoms had to do something big for one lucky father out there! They’re hosting the Tins or Tots Cruise at The Right Start in Santa Monica, California tomorrow (June 14th), where they will be giving away an exclusive Boyd Coddington Commemorative Roddler, in honor or Father’s Day! The price tag on this thing is $4,000 (I can’t believe this stroller is worth more than my car), but for one lucky dad, it will be free!

In order to be eligible to win the Roddler, there are only two requirements:

1. You must be subscribed to their D.A.W.S. (Dads Against Wack Strollers) newsletter, and
2. You must be present at the event tomorrow (which unfortunately excludes me since I live like a billion miles away from California)

You can subscribe to D.A.W.S. by sending an e-mail to DAWS@KidKustoms.com, or you can subscribe in person at the Tins For Tots Cruise tomorrow.

So if you’re in the Santa Monica area with no plans for tomorrow, stop by the Tins For Tots Cruise at The Right Start for your chance to win a Roddler! The Right Start is located at 2212 Wilshire Blvd. and the event will run from 3PM to 6PM.

To learn more about Jamie Coblentz, Kid Kustoms, and the Roddler, I encourage you to read our interview and visit KidKustoms.com!